The present invention relates to a transfer station for a material conveyor system, and specifically relates to a transfer station that maintains a conveyor belt at a location relative to conveyor supports.
It is known to utilize various mechanized and automated machines to improve the efficiency of removing mined material, such as coal, from within a mining operation. Often, the location of actual excavation of the mined material is a considerable distance away from the location at which the mined material is desired to be deposited or accumulated (e.g., an opening into the mine). Such a condition often occurs within long wall mining and low seam mining. The distance between the excavation work area and the final location to deposit the mined material may be more than one mile long.
It is known to utilize continuous loop conveyor belts to transport the mined material over such great distances. Such conveyor belts are supported by components that include various rollers, guides, and drive pulleys, such that the material-laden conveyor belt is circulated to move the mined material. Obviously, for relatively long distances to transfer the material, there is some desire to use relatively long conveyor belt arrangements. However, it is to be appreciated that conveyor belts must be maintained in an aligned orientation with regard to the supporting structure (e.g., rollers, pulleys, a framework, etc.). Belts that are relatively long extend generally have a relatively greater need for alignment than belts having a relatively short extent. Any angular offset from precise alignment can result in a progressively increasing transverse offset along the longitudinal extent of the conveyor belt. As such, even a small angular offset can result in a problematic misalignment if the length of the conveyor belt is sufficiently long and some sort of corrective measure is not undertaken. Problems that can arise with regard to misalignment of a conveyor belt include unwanted abrading of the conveyor belt against the supporting structure.
In accordance with one aspect, the present invention provides a transfer station for a material conveyor system. The transfer station includes means for engaging a ground surface and for moving the transfer station relative to the ground surface. The transfer station includes means for supporting a conveyor belt, which has a longitudinal extent and which supports material, for movement relative to the ground in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the belt. The transfer station includes means for applying a skewing force against the belt to maintain the belt at a location relative to the means for supporting during movement of the belt.
In accordance with another aspect, the present invention provides a transfer station for a material conveyor system. The transfer station includes a motor-driven crawler. The transfer station includes a series of conveyor belt supports that are spaced to receive an extent of a longitudinally extending conveyor belt. A last of the supports is a pulley and is located where the belt is redirected for a return. The pulley has two ends. The transfer station includes a movable mount on which the last of the supports is mounted and that displaces one pulley end relative to the other pulley end with respect to a longitudinal extent of the belt.
In accordance with another aspect, the present invention provides a transfer station for a material conveyor system. The transfer station includes a motor-driven crawler. The transfer station includes a series of conveyor belt supports that are spaced to receive an extent of a longitudinally extending conveyor belt. A last of the supports is located where the belt is redirected for a return. The transfer station includes a pivotal mount on which the last of the supports is mounted and that pivots about an axis that is transverse to a longitudinal extent of the belt.